1-9 April Hockey World League Round 2

A last-minute goal from Uruguay’s Maria Teresa Viana Ache lifted the Cimarronas 3-2 over Belarus to ultimately nab second place in Pool A. Chile continued their clean sheet with a 2-0 win over Mexico to top Pool B and earn a bye into the semifinals, while Canada finishes second in Pool B after their 12-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago.

Pool B: Mexico vs Chile (0-2)

Chile earned their opening goal in the 8th minute on a penalty corner. Camila Caram’s initial sweep on goal was saved by Mexican keeper Jesus Castillo but the air-born rebound was tapped in my Sofia Walbaum to lift Chile 1-0. In the 19th minute, Chile capitalized again on a set piece in the second quarter when Manuela Urroz deflected another sweep from Caram, this time at the far post, to double Chile’s lead. A spirited Mexican defence lead by Maribel Acosta and Eliana Cota weathered the waves of Chilean attack to keep the defecit at 2-0 by half time.

The Mexican defence continued to put up a wall, denying Chile a third goal both in free play and through several penalty corner attempts. Castillo came up strong, denying attempts by Caram, Urroz and Walbaum in the second half. The opening half goals were enough to give Chile their third-straight win to top Pool B and earn a bye in to the semifinals on 8 April.

Pool A: Uruguay vs Belarus (3-2)

It was even opening quarter with both teams scoring just one minute a part. Uruguay executed a give-and-go play on a penalty corner that resulted in Kaisuami Dall’orso setting up Carolina Mutilva for the 1-0 lead in the 14th minute. Less than a minute later Belarus finished a set piece as Sviatlana Bahushevich deflected at the near post to tie the game 1-1 entering the first break. Matilde Kliche lifted the Cimarronas 2-1 when she picked up a rebound, curled and fired into the unguarded net in the 24th.

Following a penalty corner in the 38th minute, Belarus was awarded a penalty stroke but Yuliya Mikheichyk’s flick rang off the post. Uruguay were unable to match the pace of the Belarussian attack for most of the second half and conceded a penalty corner in the 48th minute. Belarus forward Nastassia Syrayezhka put in the rebound to tie the game 2-2. The game was decided in the final minute of play as against the flow Maria Teresa Viana Ache put in a diving deflection goal that Uruguay 3-2 to finish in an all-important second place in Pool A.

Pool B: Canada vs Trinidad and Tobago (12-0)

Canadian Rachel Donohoe got the scoring flurry going as the striker danced through a sea of white shirts to rip a back-hand past Trinidad and Tobago keeper Petal Derry. It was the first of three goals in as many minutes as Canadian defender Alison Lee sent a pass across the circle that deflected in off a defender. Just after, Alex Thicke walked in and found the back board to give Canada a 3-0 lead just six minutes into the game. Canada added three more deflection goals before half as Donohoe notched her second and Jordyn Faiczak buried two for a 7-0 lead at the break.

Donohoe tapped in her third goal of the game, finishing a Kate Wright pass to give Canada an eight-goal advantage in the 32nd minute. The goals kept flowing as Nikki Woodcroft, Brienne Stairs, Dani Hennig scored for Canada, who clinched second place in Pool B with the 12-0 victory.

The Gryphon Hockey World League Round 2 resumes on 6 April. The seven-team tournament will have two quarter-finals with the top pool-play finishers earning byes into the semifinals. Uruguay will play Mexico at 1415h and Canada will play Belarus in the other quarter-final at 1630h. All games will have live tweets via @panamhockey